The present invention relates generally to temperature indicators and, more particularly, to a system and method for a temperature indicator stick that is capable of indicating multiple temperatures.
Various temperature monitoring or indicating devices are used in the welding, metal fabrication, and heat treatment industries to measure temperatures of materials. Determining surface temperatures is important during welding and metal fabrication processes, such as pre-heat and post-weld heat treatment. Temperature monitoring is also important for determining operating temperatures of various mechanical, electrical, and hydraulic systems and components.
Temperature indicating sticks are commonly used to measure temperature. These temperature indicators are typically formed from compounds or materials designed to undergo a physical and/or chemical change upon being subjected to a particular temperature. An operator uses the temperature indicator stick to mark a desired area and determine that the area has at least reached the particular temperature when the physical/chemical change is observed.
While this system is suitable for many situations, it is often necessary to determine that the temperature of an object is within a specific range. In this case, an operator is required to use two separate temperature indicator sticks: a first stick designed to indicate a temperature representing the low temperature in the desired range and a second stick designed to indicate the high temperature in the desired range. This required use of two or more separate indicator sticks can be particularly cumbersome in the case of the welding, metal fabrication, and heat treatment industries because these industries typically require an operator to wear heat-resistant gloves that significantly impede the ability of the operator to manipulate a variety of temperature indicator sticks simultaneously.
Therefore, it would be desirable to have a system and method for precisely indicating the temperature of an object without the need to simultaneously operate multiple temperature indicator sticks.